


When You Find Me

by savekenny, wanderlustlights



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Genderswap, M/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-12-08
Packaged: 2017-11-15 12:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savekenny/pseuds/savekenny, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderlustlights/pseuds/wanderlustlights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>cisgirl!Kurtofsky.  “Loser freak,” she snarled as she walked past Kate.  Like always, the taunt didn’t make her feel better. It just made her feel heavier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kate smiled down fondly at Blair’s text, the one word _courage_ giving her a strange sense of security even in its simplicity.   
  
Before she even knew what was happening, her phone was being knocked out of her hand.  Kate glanced up to see Dani Karofsky walking right on past her. 

“Loser freak,” she sneered, glaring, ponytail swinging and Cheerios skirt twirling as she walked past.  
  
Kate stared at her as Dani walked on down the hallway, and bent down to retrieve her phone with a sigh.  This was getting ridiculous.  Ever since pretty much the end of the previous year, Dani had been teasing her relentlessly, about anything and everything.  She’d finally come out last year and, ever since, had become Dani’s number one target.  Somehow in being honest with herself, it had made everything worse, with one person in particular – Dani.  Always Dani.  
  
Glancing down the hallway at Dani’s retreating figure, then back at Blair’s text, Kate sprinted down the hallway after her.  
  
When she finally found her, it was in the bathroom, Dani completely, calmly focused on fixing her mascara.

Dani didn’t get it; she didn’t understand _why_ Kate insisted on being so… out there with her sexuality.  She didn’t get why she was so okay, gay or lesbian or whatever; didn’t she get that it wasn’t normal?  Why did she have to rub it in everyone’s faces?  So of course Dani felt the need to show her that it was unacceptable.  

When she saw Kate standing by her locker smiling down at that damn cell phone of hers, probably a text from her girlfriend or whatever, her gut twisted.   _No_ , it’s not fair.  She should just pretend to be normal like everyone else!

“Loser freak,” she snarled as she walked past Kate.  Like always, the taunt didn’t make her feel better. It just made her feel heavier.   _Fuck,_ shedidn’t need this.

 Dani retreated into the girls’ bathroom, fixing her make up in attempt to distract herself.  She heard someone come in behind her and for some reason she just _knew_ it was Kate.

 “What do you want, freak?” she asked, not bothering to turn around.

Kate huffed.  “I want to know why the hell you have such a problem with me.  I want to know why you’ve decided to torture me, of all people, when there are literally over a _hundred_ other girls in this school that you could be doing that to.  So tell me, what the _fuck_ is your problem?” she spat, seething, not even caring that Dani was looking at her like that. 

Dani rolled her eyes and glared at Kate through the mirror.  “You’re a freak, _that’s_ my problem.  You like girls and that’s _disgusting.”_  She turned on her heels.  “Plus, you dress like something out of a fashion shoot gone wrong.  It’s hideous.”  Why couldn’t Dani just back the fuck away?  Why the hell was she doing this? 

“I’ll have you know that this is exactly what the models in _Vogue_ are wearing, maybe you should learn to dress yourself in something a bit more stylish for once instead of just following the herd.”  Kate crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.  “And there is _nothing_ _wrong_ with a girl liking other girls.  There is, however, something very fucking wrong with homophobia.  I can’t choose my sexuality.  You, on the other hand, can choose not to be an ignorant bitch.”  At that, she saw a mix of surprise and anger in Dani and knew she’d finally gained the upper hand, at least slightly. 

Dani balled her fists in anger, why the hell wasn’t Kate backing off?  Why the hell did that jab at her style even hurt so much?  Couldn’t she see that Dani didn’t want anything to do with her?  Didn’t want to be near her because…  “Who the hell do you even think you are?  Can’t you just back the fuck off?  I don’t want you _near_ me.  Wouldn’t want to catch the queer,” she sneered, stepping forward. 

Kate glared heatedly, feeling the blood boil under her skin as she stared up at Dani, so close to her now, only a few inches away.  “Oh, fuck you, it’s not something you can catch!  God, do you seriously not understand the concept or are you just that stupid?!”

The air in the room felt thick, Dani thought she was going to be sick.  She needed to get out.  “Do _not_ messwith me.”  Dani raised a fist, hoping to God she looked threatening. 

Kate glanced at Dani’s raised fist quickly, swallowing thickly at the sight, and raised her chin boldly.  “If you’re going to hit me then fine, do it, but I’m not going to change who I am and you can’t do a damn thing about it.  I love myself, which is a lot more than I can say about you.  You walk around here acting like you’re so tough and badass but all you are is a scared little girl and nothing is gonna change that.”   

Dani didn’t know what happened next, she didn’t even remember moving.  All she knew was the next second her lips were on Kate’s, hands on smooth skin.  The world around them suddenly disappeared and there was just Dani and Kate, and all Dani could think about was how soft Kate’s lips were and how they tasted like the cherry chap stick she was wearing and _good god_ kissing Kate was a million times better than any kiss she had ever had with Santiago. Dani pulled her lips away for a second and mistook the fear in Kate’s eyes for that of the same lust she was feeling and went in for a second kiss. 

Kate felt her breath coming in short gasps as she watched Dani descend on her again, pushing her away gently before she could get too close.  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she yelled, moving away from the other girl far enough that she wasn’t even in arms reach.  She didn’t miss the hurt look that Dani gave her when she saw Kate moving further and further away. 

Dani felt reality come crashing back around her when Kate pushed her away, _fuck_ what did she do?  Why was she so stupid.  “Forget about it,” Dani huffed, picking up her purse off the sink, “just forget this happened.”  She shoved her way past Kate and out the door, fighting back tears that were threatening to come out.  Now Kate _knew_ and was going to tell everyone.  Dani felt like her life was over. 

Kate watched her go, and closed her eyes tightly as she just tried to figure out where to go from there.  She glanced back at the bathroom door, half expecting Dani to come back in for another confrontation, and turned her attention to the wall of mirrors.  Tucking her hair behind an ear, she thought of that kiss and what Dani had said to her as she practically sprinted from the room.  _“Just forget this happened.”_ Well that was going to be just completely impossible, that was for sure.  It was definitely not the sort of thing you just forgot.   
  
Kate pulled the hem of her sweater up and palmed her phone in the front pocket of her skinny jeans, remembering the cracked screen and how she’d gotten into this mess in the first place.   
  
She was pretty sure Dani thought she was going to tell everybody, broadcast to the world just how much of a closet case Dani really was and how it all had come to a boiling point.  Kate could be a bitch sometimes, sure, but she would never out someone against their will; that was just way too cruel, even for her.   
  
Kate took one last look at herself in the mirror, reapplying her chap stick and putting on a dab of lip gloss as well, and heard the bell ring to start the next class.  “Fuck,” she swore and fled the bathroom, running down the hallway, her heels loud against the linoleum floor and hoping against all hope that she wouldn’t get sent to Figgins for being tardy.

This was already a bad enough day without her dad getting called on top of it.

_tbc._


	2. Chapter 2

Dani slammed the door closed behind her when she came home from school and ran up to her room, logging on to Facebook.  Her heart was thumping fast in her chest as she waited for the long list of hate and cruelty to show up on her wall but… nothing.  So, had Hummel not said anything?  Dani huffed and closed her laptop, shoving it away from her.  Dani didn’t get it, why hadn’t she said anything?

Dani collapsed on her bed and screwed her eyes shut, wishing that she hadn’t been so stupid and that she hadn’t snapped at Kate like… _that._

—

Kate laid her outfit for the next day on the chair in the corner of her room, glad that she had finally settled on something.  She’d been scrutinizing the clothes in her closet, trying and failing to decide on a good combination for over an hour.  Usually it didn’t take her so long but she was still a little shaken up after what had happened earlier that day in the bathroom at school.  It was ridiculous, she was trying to not let it affect her, but that was proving to be nearly impossible.  
  
Kate heard the front door open and went up the stairs to meet her dad, who was busy in the kitchen grabbing a beer from the refrigerator.  
  
“Dad?”  
  
Burt turned, taking a swig from the bottle, and gave her a smile.  “Hey, kiddo.  How was school?”  
  
Kate faked a smile, silently praying he wouldn’t be able to see through the cracks in her façade.   “Fine.  But, uhm.  I need a new phone.  Mine broke today and-“  
  
Burt’s eyes narrowed.  “How’d it break, Kate?  Some kid at school do it?”  
  
 _Not intentionally_ , she thought.  “No, of course not!  It fell out of my bag and you know how sensitive these kinds of phones are.  Anyway, the point is that I need a new one, the stupid thing won’t work now.”  
  
Burt heaved a sigh.  “I don’t got that kind of money right now to just buy you a new phone, those things are expensive.  And I don’t think we ever got insurance on it, either.  So if you want a new one, you gotta figure out a way to pay for it yourself.  ‘Kay?”  
  
Kate pursed her lips and nodded.  “Yeah, okay.”  She gave Burt a tight smile.  “So how was your day?” she asked and leaned against the counter, ready to listen to him ramble on about work.

—

Dani sat quietly at the dinner table, pushing her food around her plate, not really having much of an appetite at the moment.  The events of earlier that day were still flooding her mind and occupying her every thought.

“Is something wrong, dear?” her mother asked.

Dani looked up, shaken out of her thoughts.  “No, nothing. I’m fine,” Dani muttered, shoving a bite of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

“Did something happen at school today?” her father, Paul, asked in concern.

Dani threw her fork down on her plate in frustration, “No!  Nothing happened.  God, you guys are so nosy.”  She shoved her plate away from her and stood up. “I’m not hungry, I’m going upstairs to finish my homework,” she said, briskly walking away, not wanting to deal with her parents.

—

Kate looked up from her homework she was doing on the couch, seeing Burt dressed up more than his usual attire.  “Are you going somewhere?”

Burt straightened his collar in the hallway mirror, nodding.  “Got a date with Carole tonight.  You can figure out dinner on your own tonight, right?  I left some money on the table so you can order in if you need to.”

“I… I didn’t know you had a date.”

Burt nodded.  “Sorry, kid.  It was short notice, tonight was the only night this week she could get off work.”

Kate nodded solemnly before giving her dad a tight smile.  “Right, well… have a good time.  I’ll figure something out for myself, it’s fine.”

As much as Kate loved Carole – hell, she was the one to set them up, so of _course_ she loved Carole – that didn’t mean she liked that they were always together nowadays.  It felt like she barely even got to see Burt anymore.  And that alone hurt more than anything, really.  Even their weekly dinners were becoming a rare occurrence now. 

She listened as Burt’s phone rang and he answered, talking to the person on the other end of the line and from the way Burt’s face filled with a certain joy, Kate could only assume it was Carole.

“Sorry!” said Burt, ending the call and turning to Kate.  “I gotta go, honey.  I’ll see you later tonight,” he said and Kate barely even got out a nod and smile to Burt before he was running out the door, leaving Kate alone in the house once again. 

She sighed, abandoning her homework on the coffee table in front of her and stood, walking to the kitchen table and, seeing the cash there, got ready to call her usual Chinese restaurant.

—

Dani sat on her bed, crisscross applesauce, homework sprawled out in front of her, pen tapping furiously against it.  She let out a frustrated sigh and pushed it all away from her before flopping back on the bed.  She shut her eyes and tried to relax, which wasn’t really helping at all.  Going to school tomorrow was going to be a bitch, she knew it.  Hummel had probably texted all her Glee dork friends and she’d get to school tomorrow and have a face full of slushie.

Which really, was the last thing she needed, they really didn’t look like much fun.  She needed to do something to protect herself, she’d come up with some excuse for it.  Hummel forced her to, yeah, that was it!  Stupid Hummel wouldn’t back off and was being an insistent little freak.  They’d have to believe her, no one would believe a loser like Hummel.

—

Kate lay in bed that night, staring at her broken phone on her nightstand.  Why did Dani have to knock it out of her hand like that?  As soon as Kate had heard it hit the ground, she’d known it was completely ruined.  She wondered if she could get Dani to pay for a new one?  Blackmail was always a good option, she thought bitterly, though she’d rather not have to go that route.

She didn’t even have any way of talking to anyone now, not even Blair.  Kate sighed, wondering if Blair’s advice had actually screwed up everything instead of helping like it was supposed to.  Just because it was advice didn’t mean it was _good_ advice.  Her intentions were good, sure, but in the end it had just ended up a disaster, a complete and utter _disaster_. 

Sighing, Kate walked to her desk, opening her laptop and heading straight for Facebook.  Kate paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard for a minute before, finally, typing Dani’s name into the search bar and clicking on it when it appeared.

She clicked on the button to send Dani a message and typed quickly, waiting and reading over what she’d written, before finally, with shaking fingers, biting the bullet and clicking _send_.

_We need to meet and talk about this.  Tomorrow.  Please?_

—

Dani’s laptop went off, alerting her that she had a new message on Facebook.  She walked over to grab it off her desk to open and read the message.  She saw it was from Kate and frowned when she read it.  She typed up a quick reply and sent it.

_We have nothing to talk about._

—

Kate stared at the reply, blinking in surprise.  She should’ve known Dani wouldn’t be exactly _welcoming_ to talking about their earlier incident but she hadn’t expected such a… stubbornness from the other girl.  Honestly, she didn’t even really know why she tried.

Clenching her jaw, Kate clicked on the white box to type. 

_We do.  Look, can we just talk?  That’s all I’m asking here.  We don’t even need to meet in person if you don’t want to, but I just think we really need to discuss this._

—

Dani snorted at Kate’s response, why the hell was she being so pushy. This was why everything had happened in the first place.

_No. We don’t. I don’t know what you’re talking about._

—

Kate rolled her eyes. 

_I just think you might need someone to talk to about this._

—

Dani frowned.

_About what?_

_—_

_About… about you.  I mean, not to be presumptuous or anything but you just seem… confused, I guess.  And I just thought maybe we could talk.  Maybe I could help you._

_You don’t have to talk about it, of course.  Just know that I’m here if you ever decide that you do need somebody._

—

_I’m not confused.  There is nothing for me to be confused about.  I don’t know why the hell you’re even talking to me.  I don’t like you._

_I understand that I’m hot as hell, but that doesn’t give you the right to hit on me._

—

Kate stared at the computer screen in confusion.  Where the hell had _that_ come from?  God but the girl was completely delusional.  That, or claiming everyone who talked to her was just her defense mechanism.  Either way, Dani was getting on Kate’s nerves like none other.

 _You know what?  Fine.  Be that way.  If you want to be a bitch then go right ahead, just don’t come crying to me when you want to finally come out of the closet and tell everyone who you_ really _are because I’m sure as hell not going to help you._

_And you’d better give me the money to get a new phone since you’re the one who fucking broke it in the first place._

With that, Kate closed the browser and shut her laptop without another word.

There wasn’t anything left for her to say.

—

Dani clenched her jaw, angry at Kate.  Or maybe she was more angry at herself.  She just didn’t want to deal with this.  She didn’t want to talk about it.

 _I’m not going to come out of the closet, because I’m not fucking_ gay _. So take your bullshit precious Glee club “everyone is special” motto and tell it so someone who_ cares _._

Dani slammed her laptop shut after that, not wanting to see any reply Kate would send her.

—

Kate went through her nightly routine quicker than usual, agitated beyond belief the entire time and just trying in vain to ride out the anger. 

“Fucking Karofsky,” she growled as she lay in bed, just trying to finally get to sleep.  She didn’t even know why Dani got under her skin like she did but for some reason Kate couldn’t get the other girl out of her head.  Dani was a bitch, pure and simple, someone Kate would never in a million years be friends with, even if Dani eventually apologized, though Kate knew deep down that would never happen.  Dani was fucking stubborn and Kate knew it but even still, she hoped Dani might eventually change.  Kate also knew that if Dani could just accept herself for who she really was, then she’d be so much happier as a person.  Less angry, maybe even somewhat friendly.

Of course, Kate doubted that would ever actually happen. 

She ended up tossing and turning the rest of the night before, finally, falling into a horrible sleep.

_tbc._


End file.
